Pancakes
by Blackberry Explosion
Summary: A post-BoO one-shot in which Percy masters the art of hopeless hoping and Annabeth is too smart for Percy's good. Percabeth, super duper uber melt-in-your-mouth-rot-your-teeth bundle of fluff. And there's pancakes too!


Percy watches the clock intently. It's 7:29. Annabeth's alarm will go off in one minute. Of course, it's a Saturday, and she usually sleeps til nine then. But he's set her clock early. It hasn't occured to him until just now that he probably should have cleaned up the kitchen, but oh well. He'll do it later.

He looks anxiously at the spread he's set up at their kitchen table. It looks really nice. Or is that just hopeless hope? He's not sure. But he's kind of an expert on hoping when the situation is completely hopeless. Maybe-

The clock on the microwave changes to 7:30. He hears Annabeth's clock start beeping. Crap.

"Percy?" Annabeth calls blearily. "Isn't it Saturday? Why is my alarm going off?"

"Come in the kitchen, please!" he answers, hoping he doesn't sound as terrified as he feels. And there's the hopeless hoping again.

Annabeth groans audibly, but she obeys. She emerges from their small bedroom, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She's wearing an old, faded T-shirt and pajama shorts. Her blond hair is pulled up in a tangled knot, and there are circles under her eyes. She stayed up late last night working on a design for a new client. Still, he finds her absolutely gorgeous.

She blinks. "Percy, why-" Her eyes shoot up. Now she's awake. "Oh, yum!"

He smiles. "I made pancakes."

True to his word, there is a stack of blue pancakes on a plate at Annabeth's place at the table. He's managed to dig out a tablecloth with only two stains on it (thank you, Frank.) Calypso has given him a bouquet of daisies, Annabeth's favorite. They're displayed in a vase right next to her seat. Not bad, if Percy says so himself.

Annabeth raises her eyebrows. "So this is why the kitchen's covered with flour."

Percy cringes. "Sorry." He's a pretty good cook, but really messy. "I meant to clean, but I didn't have time."

"S'okay. We'll clean it after I eat." She hugs him in thanks, then sits down. "This is the best thing you cook."

"It's my specialty." He grins. Fear is still gripping him, but it's loosened slightly.

Annabeth starts eating. She takes the first pancake off the stack and spreads butter on it. Then she drizzles it with syrup. Then she cuts a piece off with her knife. Then she spears it with her fork. Then she eats it. y.

Okay, she's probably taken about a minute, but still. Percy's ADHD and anxious. Not a good combination.

She looks up and notices him watching her. Her eyes narrow. Dam. She's too smart, as usual. "You want one?" She picks a pancake off the stack and offers it over to him.

He declines. "No thanks, I already ate."

"Okay...then why are you watching me eat?" she asks skeptically.

Percy shrugs. "I want to watch you savor my wondrous creation."

She rolls her eyes. "Egotistical little kelp head." She starts on the second pancake. He's made five. It doesn't help his nervousness that he actually didn't eat before and he's pretty hungry.

As expected, Annabeth notices. "You liar. You didn't eat." She peels a new pancake off the stack and hands it over. "Eat this before I shove it down your throat. I won't have you starving yourself in an effort to please me."

Percy takes it and eats it. Unlike Annabeth, he holds it and chomps. He gobbles it up in about five seconds. She rolls her eyes, mutters something about uncouth barbarians, and keeps eating.

They sit in silence. Annabeth cuts, drizzles, eats with a precision that amazes Percy. Finally she finishes her third pancake. There's only one left.

Percy speaks up. "Annabeth." he says. "I love you."

She looks up. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain." She doesn't smile, but Percy sees the lines around her eyes crinkle like they always do when he says that.

His confidence increases. He reaches across the table and takes her hand. "Annabeth. I really love you. I've never loved anyone more than I love you."

Now she smiles. "And I love you more than anything else I've ever known." She pulls her hand out of his and moves to cut the final pancake.

"No, seriously. Annabeth. _I love you." _

Annabeth looks at him skeptically, then grabs the last pancake and pulls it up off the plate. Her face falls. "Dam."

"What?" Percy asks. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…" She sighs. "I thought...I really thought there would be a ring under that pancake."

Seriously? He's that predictable? But yet, another part of him is squealing and jumping like he did when he found out his mom was pregnant.

"Oh." He shrugs, trying to look indifferent. "If there had been a ring under that pancake, what would you have said?"

Annabeth stared at him. "What do you think? I would have said yes, duh!"

Percy doesn't trust himself to say anything. He just stares at Annabeth's plate. Annabeth waits for him to answer, then eyes him suspiciously when he doesn't. She looks down at her plate for five seconds, then grabs her pancake without warning. She rips it in half and doesn't look surprised at all when the ring Percy has shoved in there clatters out.

"I _knew _it." She leans back in her chair, smirking at Percy's openmouthed expression. He stares at her. He knew she was smart, but he didn't think she was _that _smart. Underestimating her smartness, as usual.

"Well, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth looks expectant.

"Oh." He feels dumb. Slowly, he gets up and gets the ring off of Annabeth's plate. Trying not to tremble, he gets down on one knee.

"Annabeth, I love you so much. You've changed everything in my world for the better. Even stupid Hera could never make me forget you. It's been a complete blessing to have you at my side all these years, and I want you at my side for the rest of my life. I love you. I think I already said that. I'll say it again. I love you. Will you marry me?"

She's smiling so big that Percy is half afraid her chin will fall off her jaw. "Yes. Yes!" she cries, flying out of her chair and into his arms. She kisses him, and the world is golden and beautiful because he is going to marry Annabeth Chase. He can't think of a better happily ever after than this.

**AN: All together now, awwww. I hope you liked it! My name is Blackberry Explosion, have a great day! **


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